Inserting postal items into envelopes

ABSTRACT

A method of inserting postal items into envelopes, comprising, for each of said envelopes: holding the envelope in an inserting position with an open end oriented towards a postal item transport path and with an envelope edge perpendicular to the open end against an alignment surface that defines an envelope alignment axis at the inserting position; displacing one or more of the postal items along the postal item transport path into the envelope, an edge of the or each postal item, at least partway along the transport path, being urged against and guided by an alignment surface that defines a postal item alignment axis along the postal item transport path, wherein the envelope alignment axis is offset from the postal item alignment axis by a predetermined distance in a direction away from the postal item transport path.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the inserting of postal items intoenvelopes.

Many solutions for inserting documents into envelopes are known in theart. For instance U.S. Pat. No. 7,398,635 discloses to use a lineararray of optical sensing elements to determine the position of one edgeof the insert material and another linear array of optical sensingelements to determine the position of one edge of the receiving envelopein order to make sure that there is sufficient end clearance between theinsert material and the receiving envelope and makes corrections inalignment if necessary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple solutionthat avoids the need for last-moment corrections in the alignment of theenvelope and the document.

According to a first aspect, the present invention may provide a methodof inserting postal items into envelopes, comprising, for each of theenvelopes:

holding the envelope in an inserting position with an open end orientedtowards a postal item transport path and with a single envelope edgeperpendicular to the open end against an envelope alignment surface thatdefines an envelope alignment axis at the inserting position; anddisplacing one or more of the postal items along the postal itemtransport path into the envelope, a single edge of the or each postalitem, at least partway along the transport path, being urged against andguided by a postal item alignment surface that defines a postal itemalignment axis along the postal item transport path.

The single envelope edge located against the envelope alignment surfaceand the single edge of the or each postal item urged against the postalitem alignment surface face in a common direction perpendicular to thepostal item transport path. The envelope alignment axis is offset fromthe postal item alignment axis by a predetermined distance in adirection away from the postal item transport path.

By arranging that the envelope is in alignment with the envelopealignment axis and the postal item is in alignment with the postal itemalignment axis, the alignment axes being located on sides of theinserting position and the postal item transport path facing in the samedirection, the method of the present invention enables, in a simplemanner, precise pre-alignment of a postal item and an envelope necessaryfor reliable insertion to be achieved and avoid the need of adjustmentof mutually opposite side guides to the widths of postal items andenvelopes.

According to a second aspect, the present invention may provide anapparatus for inserting postal items into envelopes, including:

a postal item transport path comprising a postal item edge guide havinga postal item alignment surface for engaging an edge of the postal itemsin at least a section of the transport path, the postal item alignmentsurface defining a postal item alignment axis along the postal itemtransport path and bounding the postal item transport path in adirection transverse to and away from the postal item transport path;andan envelope holder for holding an envelope in an inserting position withan open end oriented towards the postal item transport path, theenvelope holder comprising an envelope edge guide having an envelopealignment surface for engaging an edge of the envelope at an insertingposition, the envelope alignment surface defining an envelope alignmentaxis at the inserting position and bounding the inserting position inthe direction transverse to the postal item transport path.

The postal item transport path includes a driving structure fordisplacing the postal items along the postal item transport path intothe envelope.

The apparatus is arranged such that the postal items are urged againstthe postal item edge guide, the envelopes are urged against the envelopeedge guide, and the envelope alignment axis is offset from the postalitem alignment axis by a predetermined distance in the directiontransverse to the postal item transport path.

By the postal item edge guide and the envelope edge guide definingalignment surfaces for the postal items and the envelopes, respectively,having a predetermined spatial relation and bounding the transport pathand the inserting position in a common direction, the apparatus of thepresent invention is able to achieve, in a simple manner, the precisepre-alignment of a postal item and an envelope necessary for reliableinsertion while avoiding the need of adjustment of the distance betweenmutually opposite side guides to the widths of postal items andenvelopes.

As used in the context of the present invention, the term “postal item”is to be construed broadly so as to cover not only printed material suchas documents, magazines, books and the like, but also other suitableinserts such as CDs, DVDs and the like, and any combinations thereof.Accordingly, it is also possible that a set of postal items is urgedagainst the postal item edge guide. Then, a single edge of the widestpostal item in the set of postal items effectively may be urged againstthe postal item edge guide or only a single edge of each of a pluralityof postal items of a set (not necessarily of all postal items of theset) may be urged against the postal item edge guide.

Particular elaborations and embodiments of the present invention are setforth in the dependent claims.

Further features, effects and details of the invention appear from thedetailed description and the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are hereinafter describedwith reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a document processing system;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the part of the inserting apparatusshown inside the region A of FIG. 1 illustrating an inserting operation;

FIG. 3 shows a view from above of a first construction of the part ofthe inserting apparatus shown inside the region B of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a second construction of the part of theinserting apparatus shown inside the region B of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows a view from above of a third construction of the part ofthe inserting apparatus shown inside the region B of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a fourth construction of the partof the inserting apparatus shown inside the region B of FIG. 1 takenalong the axis A-A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A schematic view of a document processing system 1 is shown in FIG. 1.

The system 1 includes an apparatus, generally designated 10, forinserting documents 2 into envelopes 4 in accordance with preferredembodiments of the present invention.

The apparatus 10 is shown mounted for operation between an envelopedispenser 50 and a document preparation system 60, such as a sheetfeeder, a copying system or a printing system, each optionally with asheet folder. The envelope dispenser 50 stores a stack of envelopes,separates individual envelopes 4 from the stack and feeds them, in aflap-extended condition as shown, onto an envelope transport path 6 fortransportation to an inserting position 11. In FIG. 1, two instances ofan individual envelope 4 are shown for illustration purposes: a firstinstance just as it enters the apparatus 10 and a second instance whenit has reached the inserting position 11. The document preparationsystem 60 after having prepared a document delivers it to a documenttransport path 8 along which it is transported and inserted into theenvelope by the apparatus 10. In FIG. 1, three instances of anindividual document 2 are shown for illustration purposes: a firstinstance as it approaches the apparatus 10, a second instance as ittravels along a first, alignment section 8 b of the transport path 8,and a third instance when it reaches a pre-inserting position in asecond, continuation section 8 a of the transport path just prior tocommencement of the inserting operation.

The apparatus 10 is provided with a guide means 12. The guide means 12comprises an envelope edge guide 14 having an alignment surface 15. Theenvelope edge guide 14 laterally bounds the envelope transport path 6 atthe inserting position 11 and a section thereof immediately before theinserting position, and its alignment surface 15 defines an intendedenvelope alignment axis X_(e). The guide means 12 further comprises adocument edge guide 16 having an alignment surface 17. The document edgeguide 16 laterally bounds sections 8 a, 8 b of the document transportpath 8, and its alignment surface 17 defines an intended documentalignment axis X_(d). As can be seen from FIG. 1, the envelope alignmentaxis X_(e) and the document alignment axis X_(d) are parallel with theenvelope alignment axis X_(e) being outwardly offset by a predetermineddistance D.

The apparatus is constructed such that the document 2 produced by thedocument preparation system 60, as it progresses along the firstalignment section 8 b of the document transport path 8, is urged orsteered such that it travels obliquely in a direction along and towardsthe document edge guide 16 as indicated by the arrow 9 b. Although thecomponent of the motion imparted is small in the cross-transport path orlateral direction as compared with the along-transport path direction,an edge 2 a of the document 2 enters into engagement with the alignmentsurface 17 while still in the alignment section 8 b. In being urged toconverge with the alignment surface 17 in the manner described, the edge2 a of the document 2 is brought into precise alignment with theintended document alignment axis X_(d).

The edge guides 14, 16 and the alignment surfaces 15, 17 thereof arelocated on sides of the document transport path 6 and of the insertingposition 11 that face in the same direction, so that the documenttransport path 6 and the inserting position 11 are bounded by the edgeguides 14, 16 in the same direction and documents or other postal itemsand envelopes urged against the respective guides in the same directionare positioned with the edges facing in the same direction with apredetermined mutual offset in a direction away from the documenttransport path and substantially perpendicular to the direction of thedocument transport path, which distance corresponds to a mutualclearance that is sufficient for ensuring reliable insertion of thedocument or other postal item into the envelope. This distance may befixed or adjustable. If the distance is adjustable, it may for instancebe determined by the system automatically, based upon measured widths ofpostal items and envelopes, and may be adjusted depending on thethickness of the postal items to be inserted. It may also be adjusted byan operator or a technician, by hand or by a drive mechanism followinginstructions from the operator or technician via a connected userinterface.

A number of preferred constructions for imparting the required sidewardsor lateral motion to the document 2 in the alignment section 8 b aredescribed in more detail below.

The apparatus 10 is further constructed such that the document 2 is thenconveyed along the continuation section 8 a of the transport path 8. Inthis section, the document 2 travels in the direction of the transportpath 8, as indicated by the arrow 9 a, with its edge 2 a remaining flushwith the alignment surface 17. In other embodiments (not shown), thedocument edge guide 16 need not extend into the Continuation section 8 aof the transport path 8.

FIG. 2 shows an inserting operation in progress. As is visible in FIG.2, the continuation section 8 a of the document transport path 8comprises a continuation section drive structure including a pair ofendless belts 20, each having a pushing finger 21. The document 2 issupported by the surface of the belts and is pushed by the pushingfingers 21 as the belts 20 are circulated, thereby conveying thedocument 2 along the continuation section 8 a of the document transportpath 8.

In FIG. 2, an envelope 4 is shown already held at the inserting position11 by a holder 28 with an edge 4 a in precise alignment with thealignment surface 15 of the envelope edge guide 14. In addition to theenvelope edge guide 14, the holder 28 comprises an envelope openingdevice 30 comprising opening assemblies 30 a, 30 b. Each openingassembly 30 a, 30 b comprises a suction assembly 31 a, 31 b and anassociated opening finger 32 a, 32 b that are mechanically coupled tothe respective suction assembly. The opening assemblies 30 a, 30 b aremounted for movement along an axis perpendicular to the envelopealignment axis X_(e). To open the envelope 4, the suction assembly 31 ais pushed against an outer surface 4 b of the lower face of the envelopeand activated creating suction which pulls the lower face of theenvelope into engagement with the suction assembly 31 a opening up thegap for the opening finger 32 to enter the throat of the envelope 4. Itis observed that in another embodiment, the envelope holder may also bearranged for holding the envelope in the inserting position onlyinstantaneously as the envelope is moved through the inserting position.

A similar procedure is repeated with the opening assembly 30 b. Withboth opening fingers 32 a, 32 b lodged in the throat of the envelope 4,it may be kept open to the necessary degree to allow inserting to beperformed. In a preferred mode of operation, the opening finger 32 b ismaintained at a fixed distance from the envelope alignment axis X_(e)independent of the width of the documents or envelopes, and the openingfinger 32 a is inserted at a fixed distance from the envelope alignmentaxis X_(e) and then subsequently urged away from the envelope alignmentaxis X_(e) until it abuts the edge of the envelope opposite to the edge4 a.

Thus, in use, the envelope 4 is held at the inserting position 11 by theholder 28 with its throat opened to the continuation section 8 a of thetransport path 8 while the document 2 is conveyed along the continuationsection 8 a of the transport path 8. Since the edge 4 a of the envelope4 is in precise alignment with the envelope alignment axis X_(e), andthe edge 2 a of the document, having already been brought into thedocument alignment axis X_(d) in the alignment section 8 a, remains inalignment with document alignment axis X_(d), the envelope 4 and thedocument 2 have a predetermined spatial relation and orientation whichsubstantially guarantees the document 2 may pass into the envelope 4without catching any edges at the throat of the envelope 4, therebyallowing insertion to be reliably achieved. Since alignment isaccomplished with respect to a single edge of the document and a singleedge of the envelope, successful inserting of successively differentwidths of documents and envelopes may be performed using the same guidemeans 12 or with the guides 14, 16 in exactly the same relativealignment.

FIG. 3 shows a view from above of a first construction of the alignmentsection 8 b of the transport path 8. The alignment section 8 b comprisesa support floor 35 having a line of transport rollers 37 recessed withinit such that only a small portion of their upper circumference protrudesabove the floor surface. Each of the rollers 37 is obliquely oriented inthe same direction along and towards the document edge guide 16. As adocument 2 enters the alignment section 8 b the rollers 37 are driven soas to transport the document 2 along the alignment section 8 b. Becauseof the orientation of the rollers 37, the document 2 is carried in thedirection indicated by the arrow R, whereby the edge 2 a of the document2 is driven into engagement with the alignment surface 17 therebybringing the edge 2 a of the document 2 into precise alignment with thedocument alignment axis X_(d). It will be appreciated that, according tothis first construction, the rollers 37 both impart the motive drive tothe document 2 and cause the sidewards displacement necessary foralignment.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a second construction of the alignmentsection 8 b of the transport path 8. The alignment section 8 b comprisesa transport member in the form of driven belt 40 which is orientedobliquely along and towards the document edge guide 16 i.e. in thedirection of arrow 9 b in FIG. 1. (The orientation of the driven belt isnot apparent from the FIG. 4 view.) The document 2 is held in contactwith the surface of the driven belt 40 by a pressing member 42comprising an array of freely rotating balls 42. The balls 42 pressagainst the document 2 ensuring that it remains in firm contact with thesurface of the belt 40 while allowing the document 2 to follow the pathof the belt 40. Following the path of the belt 40, the document 2 isbrought into engagement with the alignment surface 17 and the edge 2 aof the document 2 thereby into precise alignment with the documentalignment axis X_(d). It will be appreciated that, according to thissecond construction, it is the path of the transport member itself thatproduces the sidewards displacement necessary for alignment. In analternative embodiment (not shown), the pressing member 42 may comprisea set of freely steering caster rollers. In a still further alternativeembodiment (not shown), the pressing member may be omitted.

FIG. 5 shows a view from above of a third construction of the alignmentsection 8 b of the transport path 8. The alignment section 8 b comprisesa support floor 35 having a line of rollers 37 mounted for free rotationwithin recesses formed in the floor 35 such that only a small portion oftheir upper circumference protrudes above the floor surface. Each of therollers 37 is obliquely oriented in the same direction along and towardsthe document edge guide 16. The alignment section 8 b further comprisestransport members in the form of a pair of endless belts 42 arranged inparallel and positioned on opposite sides of the support floor 35. Eachbelt 42 includes a pushing finger 43. The document 2 is supported by thesurface of the belts and pushed by the pushing fingers 43. As thedocument 2 is driven over the rollers 37, the engagement of the document2 with the exposed upper circumference of the rollers 37 causes theirrotation. The rotation of the rollers 37 carries the document 2 in thedirection indicated by the arrow R, whereby the edge 2 a of the document2 is brought into engagement with the alignment surface 17 and intoprecise alignment with the document alignment axis X_(d). It will beappreciated that, according to this third construction, the transportmembers 42 impart the motive drive to the document 3, while it is thefreely-rotating rollers 37 that produce the sidewards displacementnecessary for alignment. This third construction is advantageous in thatthe endless belts 42 may be arranged to drive the document 2 not only inthe alignment section 8 b but also the continuation section 8 a of thetransport path 8, i.e. the endless belts 42 and 20 may be embodied as asingle pair of endless belts.

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a fourth construction of thealignment section 8 b of the transport path 8. The alignment section 8 bcomprises a split floor structure 35 made up of a pair of supportmembers 35 a, 35 b defining an inclined support plane that has thedocument edge guide 16 extending along and bounding the lower end of thesupport plane. A transport member in the form of an endless belt 45having a pushing finger 46 is arranged to circulate in the gap betweenthe support members 35 a, 35 b and push the document 2 along thealignment section 8 b. As the document 2 is driven by the endless belt45 onto the split floor structure 35, gravity acts on the document 2 andit slides down the support plane, as illustrated by arrow Y, until itsedge 2 a comes into engagement with the alignment surface 17 and isthereby brought into alignment with the document alignment axis X_(d).It will be appreciated that, according to this fourth construction, thetransport member 45 imparts the motive drive to the document, while itis the inclination of the alignment section 8 b of the transport paththat produces the sidewards displacement necessary for alignment.

The magnitude of D1, the offset between the envelope alignment axisX_(e) and the document alignment axis X_(d) necessary to ensure reliableinserting, may depend on a variety of practical factors related to theconstruction of the apparatus 10 and the nature of the documents andenvelopes. To this end, in one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may includemeans for calibrating the distance D by adjustment of the relativelateral position one or both of the guides 14, 16. In an alternativeembodiment, the guide means 12 may comprise a single member having akink partway therealong which determines a fixed spatial relationbetween an envelope edge guide portion and a postal edge guide portion.In such an embodiment, an inserting apparatus can be re-calibrated bysubstituting one guide member with another defining a different distanceD.

1. A method of inserting postal items into envelopes, comprising, foreach of said envelopes: holding the envelope in an inserting positionwith an open end oriented towards a postal item transport path and witha single envelope edge perpendicular to the open end against an envelopealignment surface that defines an envelope alignment axis at theinserting position; and displacing one or more of the postal items alongthe postal item transport path into the envelope, a single edge of theor each postal item, at least partway along the transport path, beingurged against and guided by a postal item alignment surface that definesa postal item alignment axis along the postal item transport path,wherein the single envelope edge located against the envelope alignmentsurface and the single edge of the or each postal item urged against thepostal item alignment surface face in a common direction perpendicularto the postal item transport path, and wherein the envelope alignmentaxis is offset from the postal item alignment axis by a predetermineddistance in a direction away from the postal item transport path.
 2. Amethod according to claim 1, wherein at least successive ones of theenvelopes include envelopes of different widths or successive ones ofthe postal items include postal items of different widths, wherein thepostal items are inserted into the envelopes with said edge guides incontinuously stationary positions.
 3. A method according to claim 2,wherein envelope opening fingers are inserted into each of the envelopesand open a throat of the envelope for facilitating insertion of thepostal item or items therein and wherein a fixed distance transverse tothe envelope alignment axis between a finger most closely to theenvelope alignment axis is maintained at least during and betweeninsertion of successive ones of the postal items of different widths orduring and between insertion of successive ones of the postal items intothe envelopes of different widths.
 4. A method according to claim 3,wherein at least one finger is inserted into each envelope at a fixeddistance from the envelope alignment axis and subsequently urged awayfrom the envelope alignment axis until abutting an edge of the enveloperemote from the envelope alignment axis.
 5. An apparatus for insertingpostal items into envelopes, comprising: a postal item transport pathcomprising a postal item edge guide having a postal item alignmentsurface for engaging an edge of the postal items in at least a sectionof the transport path, the postal item alignment surface defining apostal item alignment axis along the postal item transport path andbounding the postal item transport path in a direction transverse to andaway from the postal item transport path; and an envelope holder forholding an envelope in an inserting position with an open end orientedtowards the postal item transport path, the envelope holder comprisingan envelope edge guide having an envelope alignment surface for engagingan edge of the envelope at an inserting position, the envelope alignmentsurface defining an envelope alignment axis at the inserting positionand bounding the inserting position in said direction transverse to thepostal item transport path; wherein the postal item transport pathfurther comprises a driving structure for displacing the postal itemsalong the postal item transport path into the envelope; and wherein theapparatus is arranged such that the postal items are urged in saiddirection against the postal item edge guide, the envelopes are urged insaid direction against the envelope edge guide, and the envelopealignment axis is offset from the postal item alignment axis by apredetermined distance in said direction.
 6. An apparatus according toclaim 5, wherein the drive structure includes circulatable postal itemtransport members of which an outer circumference is circulatable alonga path having a section oriented obliquely in a direction along andtowards said postal item edge guide.
 7. An apparatus according to claim5, wherein the postal item transport path comprises support membersdefining an inclined support plane, the postal item edge guide extendingalong and bounding a lower end of the support plane.
 8. An apparatusaccording to claim 5, wherein the envelope holder includes circulatableenvelope transport members of which an outer circumference iscirculatable along a path having a section oriented obliquely in adirection along and towards the envelope edge guide.
 9. An apparatusaccording to any one of claim 5, wherein the envelope edge guide and thepostal item edge guide are fixedly connected relative to each other. 10.An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the envelope edge guide andthe postal item edge guide are integrally formed.